With Paul Berton

We’re pleased to welcome Paul Berton as a guest on The Hamiltonian. A respected voice in Canadian journalism and longtime friend of The Hamiltonian, Paul brings a wealth of insight and experience to the media landscape. As former Editor-in-Chief of The Hamilton Spectator and The London Free Press, Paul has not only witnessed but helped shape the evolving trends in media. Enjoy our chat with Paul.

In the shift from print to digital, what do you think mainstream outlets gained—and what have they lost? 

We gain casual readers, but lose dedicated readers, those who had a newspaper “habit” -- they need to find that newspaper on their doorstep every morning, and read it cover to cover. Digital readers pick and choose what to read from a variety of sources. There is a lot of competition for their attention, and their habits change quickly. Advertisers, meanwhile, are abandoning traditional news sources for social media or Google, where their money doesn’t just leave the community, it leaves the country. Still, I believe the pendulum is swinging back to where digital readers are returning to just one or a few outlets they can trust.

How has the rise of social media changed the relationship between news organizations and their audiences? 

It’s more of a conversation rather than a lecture. So that’s good. But misinformation and disinformation have run rampant. Too many people do not scrutinize what they hear and see, tend to believe unbelievable things, and do not grasp the lengths to which legacy media go to confirm information, check facts, and reduce bias – it’s key to our reputation as trusted news providers. Some readers even accuse us of withholding information they believe is true because they’ve seen it on social media, but we won’t publish anything until we can verify it. Beyond that, social media seems to have encouraged a lot more anger, outrage and downright nastiness. It’s unfortunate.

Do you believe the core principles of journalism—such as objectivity, accuracy, and accountability—are still intact in today’s media landscape? Why or why not?

I think they are as intact as ever, although it may not seem that way sometimes. For reasons of politics and profit, there have always been bad actors. William Randolph Hearst is blamed/credited with inventing yellow journalism a century ago. Janet Cooke, Jason Blair and Stephen Glass are famous for making things up decades ago. Rupert Murdoch’s News Of The World closed after the appalling phone-hacking scandal more recently. But running through it all has been a commitment by other outlets to report the news responsibly and objectively for the benefit of all.

Fake News- it’s a relatively new term that is being thrown about quite often. Can you talk about the fake news phenomenon and how it may impact real news?

 I’m not sure it’s anything new. Politicians and others have been shooting the messenger for centuries. But the attack on legacy media, likely the most responsible and accurate operators, has picked up at a time when they’ve never been more vulnerable. The result is readers and news consumers are switching to other outlets that have political agendas, or do not care about facts and the important role of journalism in a fair and functioning society.

Local journalism has been particularly vulnerable to newsroom cuts. What is lost when local news diminishes, and how do we protect it? 

Local journalism has indeed been the biggest loser as the industry transforms. Hundreds of news outlets and thousands of reporters are no longer working in small cities and communities. That means fewer journalists, if any, are monitoring how politicians spend our money, if criminals are brought to justice, when companies act irresponsibly, why so few citizens vote, etc. It makes for an uninformed or misinformed public. Marketers influencers and spin-doctors are filling the void. That ’s not good for society, and it’s not good for democracy. As individuals, the best thing we can do is support our local news outlets by subscribing to them and engaging with them. Real news does not come cheap. Governments, philanthropists, foundations and others who recognize this have already begun to step up, but there’s a long road ahead.

How do newspapers remain relevant to younger audiences who are growing up in a vastly different media environment?

 I’m not sure many children today will be reading newspapers tomorrow. But they will still be consuming news, and newspaper websites are well positioned to remain relevant in a digital world, because we can track what, when, how and where our readers consume our news and information. It helps us deliver a mix of what’s important, what’s amusing, what’s entertaining . . . and what’s trustworthy.

What advice would you give to aspiring journalists entering a field that seems both more accessible and more uncertain than ever before? 

Same advice as ever: stay curious. Keep asking questions. Don’t just share information; tell stories, put things in context, understand history, look to the future.

Do you think there is still a place for long-form journalism in a world of shrinking attention spans? How do we make space for it? 

Yes, there will always be a place for long-form journalism. But it requires skill and commitment from writers and editors. Too many long stories are badly written and poorly structured, so they are dull. Others simply ramble more than necessary. But there’s never been a better time for well-crafted long-form journalism, and good stories will always find an audience.

What gives you hope about the future of journalism, and what concerns you most? 

Journalists deserve scrutiny – more than ever. Some are just bad at it; others ill-intentioned. And we all make mistakes. But imagine a world where politicians or police or private citizens can act without fear of consequences because nobody is watching them and there are no consequences? Imagine a world where regular citizens cannot go to the media as a last resort for justice? That is a world descending into despotism and anarchy. It’s tough at the moment, but I remain hopeful.

What is keeping Paul Berton these days? What can you tell us about what you are currently focussing on?

I am focussing on making our journalism better, providing reliable information and compelling stories. We continue to explore new ways to share that information, and better understand our readers and attract more, and adapt to the changing landscape of the industry. Personally, I am writing more books, one of which is a follow-up to Shopomania and Misfortune and Fame.

Thank-you Paul,  for sharing your insight and engaging with Hamiltonians through The Hamiltonian. You are always welcome here!